The activity of pumpkin carving or the carving of decorative designs in other fruits or vegetables is a popular pastime. Many hand operated knifes, saws and other cutting instruments have been developed to perform this task. In addition, hand operated cutting instruments have been developed that are capable of cutting through vegetable matter but do not easily cut the flesh of a human.
Pumpkins and other similar vegetables possess firm shells in which decorative designs can be carved. Often times, the carver desires to carve intricate details in the shell of the vegetable. With the hand operated cutting implements that exist today, this can be a difficult task. To successfully carve a pumpkin, the carver must exert the physical force on the cutting implement necessary to cut through the shell of the pumpkin. However, when the carver is exerting the necessary force on the cutting implement, it can be difficult to accurately follow curved lines or carve intricate details in the pumpkin, and mistakes are frequently made that detract from the appearance of the finished carving. Also, when the necessary force is being exerted on the cutting implement, it is often difficult to stop the blade at the proper location. This results in over-cutting which can prevent the carver from achieving the desired design.
Typically, the hand operated instruments that possess safety blades that cut through vegetable matter but do not easily cut human flesh are duller than the traditional knifes, saws, and other instruments used for carving pumpkins. Therefore, these safety knives require more physical force to operate than other traditional cutting implements. This makes the carving of a pumpkin with one of these safety knives even more difficult.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to develop an electric knife for use in the carving of pumpkins that has a blade that is adapted to safely cut through vegetable matter but not readily cut human flesh. It would be beneficial if the electric knife possessed a blade that was configured to precisely and accurately carve detailed designs and curved incisions into the pumpkin shell. Such an electric knife would allow for faster, more precise carving of pumpkins with less physical force being required but would also be safer than conventional knives. In addition, it would be advantageous for the electric knife to include a shield that prevents any water, vegetable fluids or other material from entering the housing of the electric knife. It would also be advantageous if the components of the knife were optimized in light of the considerations of safety, manufacturing cost, and effectiveness of cutting.